Active sealing member

ABSTRACT

A sealing member, a component including a sealing member, and a method of sealing a hole are disclosed. In an embodiment, the sealing member includes a plug member for occluding a hole in a wall of a passageway. The plug member includes at least one cooling feature disposed on a distal end of the plug member exposed to the passageway.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure relates generally to hot gas path components havingcooling passageways cast therein, for use in turbomachines such as gasturbines. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an active sealingmember for sealing cast-in holes in the cooling passageway walls.

Components in turbomachines such as gas turbines typically operate inhigh temperature environments. In order to efficiently cool thecomponents, which may for example include nozzles, shrouds, and buckets,cooling passageways may be cast into the body of the components duringfabrication. These cooling passageways allow a fluid to circulatethrough the cooling passageways, carrying energy in the form of heataway from the component.

The casting process for fabricating such components may result in theformation of components having holes in the walls of the coolingpassageways. These holes may be sealed by, e.g., welding, brazing,threading, or other means, such as inserting a plug into or over thehole.

In embodiments in which the cooling passageways include features orgeometries on an interior of the cooling passageway to increase heattransfer effectiveness and promote cooling, the plugged area of thecooling passageway wall typically lacks such cooling features. Theplugged hole thus becomes a dead zone in the cooling circuit, and/or mayinterfere with the desired flow pattern for maximum cooling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A sealing member including a cooling feature, and a component includingsuch a sealing member, and a method of sealing a hole in a coolingpassageway are provided herein.

A first aspect of the disclosure provides a sealing member including aplug member for occluding a hole in a wall of a passageway. The plugmember includes at least one cooling feature disposed on a distal end ofthe plug member exposed to the passageway.

A second aspect of the disclosure provides a hot gas path componenthaving a component body and a cooling passageway disposed within thecomponent body. The cooling passageway includes at least one hole in awall thereof, and a sealing member for sealing the hole. The sealingmember includes a plug member for occluding a hole in a wall of apassageway, the plug member including at least one cooling featuredisposed on a distal end of the plug member exposed to the passageway.

A third aspect of the disclosure provides a method of sealing a hole inwall of a cooling passageway, the cooling passageway being disposedwithin a body of a component. The method includes inserting a sealingmember into the hole, wherein the sealing member includes a plug memberfor occluding a hole in a wall of a passageway, the plug memberincluding at least one cooling feature disposed on a distal end of theplug member exposed to the passageway.

These and other aspects, advantages and salient features of theinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,which, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, where likeparts are designated by like reference characters throughout thedrawings, disclose embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a body of a component according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a body of a component according to variousembodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of a core in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of a body of a component according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional side view of a body of a componentaccording to various embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a body of a component according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of a body of a component according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 8-9 show cross sections of a body of a component including asealing member according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 10-11 show isometric views of a sealing member in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 12-14 shows cross sectional views of aspects of a sealing memberin accordance with embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 15-16 show isometric views of a sealing member in accordance withembodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 17. shows an isometric view of a body of a component according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 18 shows a cross sectional view of a body of a component includinga sealing member according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 19-20 show cross sectional views of aspects of a sealing memberinserted into a body of a component in accordance with embodiments ofthe disclosure.

It is noted that the drawings of the disclosure are not necessarily toscale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of thedisclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scopeof the disclosure. In the drawings, like numbering represents likeelements between the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

At least one embodiment of the present invention is described below inreference to its application in connection with the operation ofturbomachine. Although embodiments of the invention are illustratedrelative to a turbomachine in the form of a gas turbine, it isunderstood that the teachings are equally applicable to other types ofturbomachines having components with cooling passageways disposedtherein. Further, at least one embodiment of the present invention isdescribed below in reference to a nominal size and including a set ofnominal dimensions. However, it should be apparent to those skilled inthe art that the present invention is likewise applicable to anysuitable turbomachine. Further, it should be apparent to those skilledin the art that the present invention is likewise applicable to variousscales of the nominal size and/or nominal dimensions.

As indicated above, aspects of the invention depicted in FIGS. 1-16provide a sealing member 200 (FIGS. 7-16) and a component 100 (FIGS.1-2, 4-9) that includes a sealing member 200.

With reference to FIGS. 1-2 and 4-9, a partial view of component 100 isshown. Component 100 may be any type of component having coolingpassageways disposed therein, as is known in the art. In particular,component 100 may be a hot gas path component such as, e.g., a nozzle, ashroud, or a bucket for, e.g., a gas turbine.

Component 100 includes a body 110 with at least one cooling passageway120 (FIGS. 4-9, 15-16) disposed within body 110. In various embodiments,cooling passageway 120 may pass through body 110 in any of a number ofarrangements such as, e.g., a serpentine cooling passageway or a pinbank. For simplicity, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-6 depict a pinbank cooling passageway 120, but any arrangement of cooling passageways120, including serpentine passageways and other passagewayconfigurations may be used in various embodiments and are consideredpart of the disclosure.

Hollow cooling passageways 120 may be cast in component 100 by providinga core 112 (FIG. 3) made of, e.g., ceramic, within the component mold.As shown in FIGS. 1-2, core 112 may be retained within the mold (notpictured) by one or a plurality of extensions from the main body of core112 called prints 114. Prints 114 may extend, for example, from the core112 to an inner surface of the mold (not pictured), or from one core 112to another core 112. Molten metal is then poured into the mold havingthe core 112 and prints 114 disposed therein. The presence of core 112and prints 114 prevents the molten metal from flowing into the regionsof the mold where the cores 112 and prints 114 are located.

After the metal solidifies to form body 110 (FIGS. 1-2), the cores 112and prints 114 (FIG. 3) may be removed, e.g., by leaching out thematerial forming core 112 and prints 114. The leaching may be done byimmersing body 110 in a chemical bath. This results in the formation ofa void within the component body 110 where core 112 had been. This voidforms a cooling passageway 120 as shown in FIGS. 4-6.

Depending on the shape of the core 112 used to form the component,cooling passageway 120 may take any of numerous forms. In someembodiments, core 112 may be perforated as shown in FIG. 3, tofacilitate the casting of a pin bank in cooling passageway 120 of thecast component 100 (see, e.g., FIGS. 8-9). In other embodiments, thecore may be solid, so as to form a cooling passageway having smoothinterior walls without any protuberances inside the cooling passageway.In other embodiments, the core may be shaped to form other coolingfeatures on an interior of the cooling passageway as is known in theart.

The leaching process used to remove core 112 and prints 114 may furtherresult in printout holes 116 in the walls of the cooling passageways120, shown in FIGS. 4-6. Holes 116 may place cooling passageways 120 influid communication with an exterior of body 110, or may place onecooling passageway 120 in fluid communication with another coolingpassageway 120 (not shown). Such fluid communication between coolingpassageways 120 may short circuit the cooling pathway through body 110.

As shown in FIG. 7, a sealing member 200 may be provided for occludinghole 116 in wall 122 of cooling passageway 120. As shown in greaterdetail in, e.g., FIGS. 10-16, sealing member 200 includes a plug member202 for occluding a hole 116 (FIG. 7) in a wall 122 of a coolingpassageway 120. Plug member 202 may include at least one cooling feature204 disposed on a distal end 206 of the plug member 202. Distal end 206of plug member 202 refers to the end of plug member 202 which is exposedto cooling passageway 120 as shown in FIGS. 8-9.

Referring to FIGS. 10-16, in some embodiments, plug member 202 mayfurther include a depth stop 210, which may be disposed on a proximalend of plug member 202. Proximal end 208 of plug member 202 is oppositedistal end 206, and refers to the end not directly exposed to coolingpassageway 120 as shown in FIGS. 8-9. As shown in FIGS. 10-14, depthstop 210 may be in the form of, for example, a flange or similar featurehaving a dimension which exceeds a dimension of hole 116 (FIG. 7). Depthstop 210 may aid in positioning and orienting of sealing member 200 inhole 116 (FIG. 7) in some embodiments. In other embodiments, coolingfeature 204 (discussed further below) or another locating feature on adistal end 206 of sealing member 200 or an opposing wall 126 of coolingpassageway 120 may be used to locate and position sealing member 200 inhole 116.

As further shown in FIGS. 8-9, at least a portion of cooling feature 204may be disposed within the cooling passageway 120. In some embodimentsof component 100, as discussed above, cooling passageway 120 may includeat least one cooling feature 232 on an interior of the coolingpassageway 120. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8-9, a plurality of coolingfeatures 232 may be present in a pin bank formation. In such anembodiment, cooling features 232 on the interior of cooling passageway120, together with cooling feature 204 on plug member 202, may form asubstantially continuous cooling circuit through body 210 of thecomponent 100. Cooling features 204 and 232 may actively enhance heattransfer and cooling of component 100.

Cooling feature 204 may be any type of cooling geometry which may beutilized to enhance heat transfer effectiveness at the walls 122, 126 ofcooling passageway 120. In various embodiments, cooling feature 204 onplug member 202 may take various forms. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 10, cooling feature 204 may include at least one element 212extending distally from a distal end 206 of plug member 202. Any numberof elements 212 may be present on distal end 206, depending on thecooling scheme and fluid flow path desired. In some embodiments,elements 212 may be substantially similar in size and dimension tocooling features 232 in cooling passageway 120, so that when sealingmember 200 is inserted into hole 116 as shown in FIG. 9, elements 212substantially continue a pattern of cooling elements 232 within coolingpassageway 120. In FIGS. 9 and 10, two and seven elements 212 are shown,although these are merely two exemplary embodiments.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, cooling feature 204 mayinclude a distal portion 214 disposed on a distal end 206 of plug member202, the distal portion 214 having at least one hole 216 there through.As with the embodiment of FIG. 10, any number, diameter, and arrangementof holes 216 may be used depending on the cooling scheme and flow pathdesired. In still other embodiments, shown in FIGS. 12-13, coolingfeature 204 may include a turbulator member 218. Turbulator member 218may be any feature which partially blocks or occludes cooling passageway120, and disrupts or turbulates the fluid flow path there through. Insome embodiments, turbulator member 218 may include one or more partialprotrusions on distal end 206 of plug member 202, and may functionsimilarly to a speed bump within cooling passageway 120. In variousother embodiments, turbulator member 218 may have any of a number ofdifferent shapes and/or orientations.

In a further embodiment, shown in FIG. 14, cooling feature 204 mayinclude at least one element 212 extending distally from a distal end206 of plug member 202. As in FIG. 10, any number of elements 212 may bepresent on distal end 206, depending on the cooling scheme and fluidflow path desired. At a distal end of the group of elements 212, asealing surface 224 may be provided. Sealing surface 224 may be asubstantially continuous surface having a surface area at least as largeas a surface area defined by the distal ends of elements 212.

In FIGS. 15 and 16, plug member 202 is substantially solid. FIG. 15shows a plug member 202 having a substantially constant thickness, whileFIG. 16 shows a plug member 202 having a cooling feature 204 at a distalend 206 of plug member 202 which has a lesser thickness. As shown inFIGS. 17-18, the plug member 202 of each of FIGS. 15-16 may be used todivide the fluid flow through the cooling passage 120 into which it isinserted and/or guide the fluid flow in a particular path, which mayfacilitate maximal cooling such as, e.g., via features present on aninterior of cooling passageway 120.

Referring back to FIGS. 7 and 9, in one embodiment, cooling feature 204may have a length 220 (FIG. 9) substantially the same as a width 124 ofcooling passageway 120. In such an embodiment, distal end 222 (FIG. 7)of cooling feature 204 may contact an opposing wall 126 of coolingpassageway 120 from a position of the hole 116. Where this embodiment iscombined with the embodiment of FIG. 10, in which cooling feature 204 isa distally extending element 212, for example, this may create acontinuous pin or pedestal. Where cooling feature 204 includes sealingsurface 224 (FIG. 14), sealing surface 224 may be sealed to opposingwall 126.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 19, cooling passageways 120 may becast as described above using cores having features protruding from anexterior surface of the core, resulting in cooling passageways 120having indented features 228. In such an embodiment, distal end 206 ofplug member 202 may have a substantially convexly curved shape which maymatingly engage with indented feature 228 of opposing wall 126, i.e.,distal end 206 of plug member 202 may extend into an indented feature228 in opposing wall 126.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 20, cooling passageways 120 maybe cast as described above using cores having indented features ordimples on the core exterior, resulting in the casting of coolingpassageways 120 having protruding features 230. Protruding features 230may be substantially rounded or convexly curved in some embodiments. Asshown in FIG. 20, distal end 206 of plug member 202 have a concavelycurved surface which may matingly engage with protruding feature 230 ofopposing wall 126, i.e., protruding feature 230 of opposing wall 126 mayextend radially inward into cooling passageway 120. With respect toFIGS. 19 and 20 in particular, features such as indented feature 228 andprotruding feature 230 may serve to assist in locating and properlypositioning distal end 206 of plug member 202 once it has been insertedinto hole 116, and for orienting sealing member 200 to properly sealhole 116 (FIG. 6) and orient cooling features 204. Indented feature 228and protruding feature 230 may also increase the bonding surface area toallow for a stronger joint.

Once positioned in hole 116, sealing member 200 may be affixed in any ofa number of ways, including brazing or use of an adhesive betweensealing member 200 and one or both of wall 122 or 126. In someembodiments, distal end 206 of sealing member 200 may be brazed oradhered to opposing wall 126 of cooling passageway 120. In otherembodiments, depth stop 210 may be brazed or adhered to wall 122 ofcooling passageway.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for sealing a hole 116 in awall 122 of a cooling passageway 120. As depicted in the transition fromFIG. 7 to FIGS. 8-9, the method includes inserting a sealing member 200into the hole 116 (FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 7, and in greater detail inFIGS. 10-14, sealing member 200 may include plug member 202 foroccluding hole 116 in a wall 122 of a cooling passageway 120. Plugmember 202 may further include at least one cooling feature 204 disposedon a distal end 206 of the plug member 202 exposed to the coolingpassageway 120. The sealing member 200 may be inserted such that atleast a portion of cooling feature(s) 204 is/are disposed within thecooling passageway 120. As discussed above, cooling feature 204 mayinclude any type of cooling geometry which may be utilized to enhanceheat transfer effectiveness at the walls 122, 126 of cooling passageway120, including but not limited to at least one element 212 extendingdistally from a distal end 206 of the plug member 202, either with orwithout a sealing surface 224 at a distal end thereof (FIG. 10, 14); adistal portion 214 disposed on a distal end 206 of the plug member 202,the distal portion 214 having at least one hole 216 there through (FIG.11); or a turbulator member 218 (FIGS. 12-13).

As further described above with respect to FIGS. 7-9, in someembodiments, the method may include inserting sealing member 200 intohole 116 to a depth at which distal end 222 of cooling feature 204contacts an opposing wall 126 of cooling passageway 120 relative to aposition of the hole 116. In such embodiments, cooling feature 204 mayhave a length 220 substantially the same as a width 124 of coolingpassageway 120. In further embodiments, the method may also includebrazing, adhering, or otherwise affixing distal end 206 of plug member202 to opposing wall 126 of cooling passageway 120, or proximal end 208,which may include depth stop 210, to wall 122 of cooling passageway 120as previously described.

In further embodiments, cooling passageway 120 may include at least onecooling feature 232 disposed on an interior thereof. As described above,the insertion of sealing member 200 into hole 116 in such a component100 may form a substantially continuous cooling circuit, havingsubstantially continuous cooling geometries.

As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and the like, do not denoteany order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguishone element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do notdenote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of atleast one of the referenced item. The modifier “about” used inconnection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has themeaning dictated by the context (e.g., includes the degree of errorassociated with measurement of the particular quantity). The suffix“(s)” as used herein is intended to include both the singular and theplural of the term that it modifies, thereby including one or more ofthat term (e.g., the metal(s) includes one or more metals). Rangesdisclosed herein are inclusive and independently combinable (e.g.,ranges of “up to about 25 mm, or, more specifically, about 5 mm to about20 mm,” is inclusive of the endpoints and all intermediate values of theranges of “about 5 mm to about 25 mm,” etc.).

While various embodiments are described herein, it will be appreciatedfrom the specification that various combinations of elements, variationsor improvements therein may be made by those skilled in the art, and arewithin the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications maybe made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings ofthe invention without departing from essential scope thereof. Therefore,it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particularembodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out thisinvention, but that the invention will include all embodiments fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sealing member comprising: a plug member foroccluding a hole in a wall of a passageway, the plug member including atleast one cooling feature disposed on a distal end of the plug memberexposed to the passageway.
 2. The sealing member of claim 1, furthercomprising a depth stop disposed on a proximal end of the plug member.3. The sealing member of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the atleast one cooling feature is disposed within the passageway.
 4. Thesealing member of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling featureincludes a turbulator member.
 5. The sealing member of claim 1, whereinthe at least one cooling feature includes a distal portion disposed on adistal end of the plug member, the distal portion having at least onehole there through.
 6. The sealing member of claim 1, wherein the atleast one cooling feature includes at least one element extendingdistally from a distal end of the plug member.
 7. The sealing member ofclaim 6, wherein at least one plug member has a length substantially thesame as a width of the passageway, such that a distal end of the plugmember contacts an opposing wall of the passageway from a position ofthe hole.
 8. The sealing member of claim 1, wherein a distal end of thesealing member matingly engages with an opposing wall of the passagewayfrom a position of the hole.
 9. A hot gas path component comprising: acomponent body; a cooling passageway disposed within the component body,the cooling passageway having at least one hole in a wall thereof; and asealing member for sealing the hole, the sealing member including: aplug member for occluding a hole in a wall of a passageway, the plugmember including at least one cooling feature disposed on a distal endof the plug member exposed to the passageway.
 10. The hot gas pathcomponent of claim 9, wherein the hot gas path component includes one ofa nozzle, a shroud, or a bucket.
 11. The hot gas path component of claim9, further comprising a depth stop disposed on a proximal end of theplug member.
 12. The hot gas path component of claim 9, wherein at leasta portion of the at least one cooling feature is disposed within thepassageway.
 13. The hot gas path component of claim 9, wherein the atleast one cooling feature is one of: a turbulator member; a distalportion disposed on a distal end of the plug member, the distal portionhaving at least one hole there through; or at least one elementextending distally from a distal end of the plug member.
 14. The hot gaspath component of claim 13, wherein at least one plug member has alength substantially the same as a width of the passageway, such that adistal end of the plug member contacts an opposing wall of thepassageway from a position of the hole.
 15. The hot gas path componentof claim 9, further comprising at least one cooling feature on aninterior of the cooling passageway.
 16. The hot gas path component ofclaim 15, wherein the at least one cooling feature on the interior ofthe cooling passageway and the at least one cooling feature on thesealing member form a substantially continuous cooling circuit throughthe body of the hot gas path component.
 17. The hot gas path componentof claim 9, wherein a distal end of the sealing member matingly engageswith an opposing wall of the passageway from a position of the hole. 18.A method of sealing a hole in wall of a cooling passageway, the coolingpassageway being disposed within a body of a component, the methodcomprising: inserting a sealing member into the hole, wherein thesealing member includes a plug member for occluding a hole in a wall ofa passageway, the plug member including at least one cooling featuredisposed on a distal end of the plug member exposed to the passageway.19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the at leastone cooling feature is disposed within the passageway, and wherein theat least one cooling feature is one of: a turbulator member; a distalportion disposed on a distal end of the plug member, the distal portionhaving at least one hole there through; or at least one elementextending distally from a distal end of the plug member.
 20. The methodof claim 18, wherein the cooling passageway includes at least onecooling feature disposed on an interior thereof, and wherein the atleast one cooling feature on the interior of the cooling passageway andthe at least one cooling feature on the sealing member form asubstantially continuous cooling circuit.